Saturday, May 22, 2010

Arizona Audioblogging: The Fall Live At Tumbleweeds, Tucson, July 1981

You've all been very patient about my ceaseless Arizona reminiscences lately, so here, finally, is a payoff for you: a ridiculously rare "ghetto blaster" recording of The Fall playing live at tiny Tumbleweeds, Tucson's premier dank punk rock venue, in early July of 1981. I can't imagine more than five people have this cassette recording at this point, and I doubt more than twenty people have heard it, period, and before this post it is unknown to the interwebs, so this will be a new one to all you Fall fans out there. In other words, not to be too braggy or anything, THIS IS A TREAT. YOU ARE WELCOME.

The Fall were popular with Tucson punks. The Record Room always carried everything they released. All my high school friends loved them. Isn't that weird? The Fall were big in Tucson. Well, with a small counterculture, at least, but still!

I've heard better live Fall recordings, but I've heard worse. I don't know who recorded this, but I got it from a friend shortly after the show. I can't imagine any Fall fan being disappointed with the version of "Hip Priest." Here's the song list, mostly from Dragnet, Slates, and the unreleased at the time Hex Induction Hour: